When is the Best Time to Search for Apartment Listings?

If you are in the market for a new apartment, it is important to know when the best apartment listings are available. Otherwise, you may have only a limited selection of apartments, and you might not find what you are looking for.

When School is Out

Anyone with children does not want to move while their children’s schools are still in session. If they move out of the local area, the children have to go to a new school. Most parents do not want such a situation of uprooting their children mid-year, and placing them in a new school. If you’ve ever gone to a new school, even at the beginning of the year, you know how difficult that can be. So, most parents will wait until the kids are done with the school year to move. Voila! Apartment listings galore! Another benefit of these apartment listings is that the families will want to move before the beginning of the next school year, so they will usually try to find another apartment quickly, thus renting their apartment even faster.

The Beginning of the Year

Many people start new jobs at the beginning of a new year. This could mean that they have to move out of the area, or that their budget has altered. With these people moving out, more apartment listings are available for you to move into.

Also, sales people, and others that work off commission may get large bonuses at year end, thus giving them a larger pot at the beginning of the year to spend on rent. These people will also be looking to move out, again, leaving more apartment listings for you.

Spring and Summer

Moving in the spring or summer is ideal. It is so much easier to move your stuff when it isn’t freezing outside, and there isn’t snow on the ground. For that reason, many people like to move in the Spring and Summer (May through September are prime moving months). There should be plenty of apartment listings to choose from during this time. That being said, you are not alone. Apartments get snatched up much faster in the late spring through late summer.

The Winter

As stated, most people like to move in the late spring through late summer, but also as stated, apartment listings at these times go quickly. For that reason, the winter can be a great time to search for an apartment. You will have less options available to you, but landlords may be more desperate (if the unit has been up for rent for awhile), so you can negotiate on your rent more. Also, you won’t have as much competition. Apartment competition can often lead to impulse decisions, and signing the lease for an apartment before you’ve really thought it through. Without that pressure, you will have the opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of each apartment before making your decision.

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Emily Gojko: I am a writer, marketer, and manager with a strong background in real estate development and management. I am also a native New Yorker with an obsession for home design shows, so I have personal and professional experience making the most of small spaces, and dealing with good and bad living situations.